Open letter of thanks to Malcolm

I sent this letter to Malcolm & CCed it to our local mailing list, but thought I'd post it here as well. Can I get a second? Is there a 'here here!' in the house?

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Hi, Malcolm.

Okay I'm here to send you an honest-to-god fan letter. Your site has done wonderful things for me and quite a number of people in my area (Baltimore, MD, USA..45 min north of Washington DC, 3 hrs or so south of
New York City by car).

I first picked up the poi in September while visiting a friend of mine in Richmond, VA started learning from _her_ friends in New York. I didn't know anyone in my area who was doing it (Richmond is also about 3 hours
away, so needless to say I don't see my friend very often). I'd always been mystified by it when I saw the skilled fire dancers at Burning Man and other outdoor events, but never thought I could do it. My Richmond friend referred me to your site for lessons when she couldn't be around to
teach me herself and helped me make a set of practice chains and beanbags (made from old socks and lentils).

Soon after finding your site, I added my own entry on the 'meet others' database & two weeks later heard from a seasoned spinner from San Francisco, who told me that he was a frequent visitor to the Baltimore area, and suggested we get together. He brought me a set of the beautiful streamer poi, and I got super addicted to them and started practicing an hour or more per day.

I've never been much of a performer and I've never called myself an artist. I'm a simple unix administrator with a rather dull government job. When it comes to expressive extracurricular activity I typically have engaged myself behind-the-scenes; helping others build their projects or operating the sound and light boards.

The experience of learning and practicing, and more recently, teaching and performing with the poi, has completely changed my life. I've learned nearly every move on the 'poi lessons' page and I so enjoy reading the
interactions on the lively discussion board. While I once remarked to fire dancers that they made it look so easy, now other people are saying that to me.

Perhaps best of all is the way others have picked up the poi after seeing me do it. Almost every one of my friends is now learning, either with homemade equipment or borrowing mine, and several are eagerly awaiting their own streamers in the mail. The San Francisco fellow is now one of
my best friends. And we started up our own regional mailing list a month ago, currently with a membership of 22 and growing!

Last night my _second_ poi student lit the wicks (a pair of wicks built by my _first_ student, no less!) for the first time. Five of us got together on a public square in the middle of town to trade tips and show off for
the locals a little. A woman approached us and asked if she could join in; I expect to see her subscribe to our list pretty soon too.

I've heard stories about other parts of this country where poi spinners jealously guard their secrets from each other, where 'plagarizing' each others' moves is considered a horrific thing to do and they actively discourage newbies from learning the craft. The way I see it, poi is just
too good to keep to myself. I can't help but share and am only too happy to help others get the indescribable benefit I've gotten out of this.

And I'm so grateful for your site. Suffice it to say that without it, I'd still be spinning by myself in my backyard.

Our group (we call ourselves the Baltimore Calefaction Society) will be putting together a large equipment order from your store soon; partially because we need more streamer sets for incoming newbies and some of us (like me!) are ready to be owners of our own fire wicks. We also see it as a way to support you in your endeavor which has been so beneficial to all of us, and to thank you with more than simple words. I hope your site is around for a long time.

A thousand thanks for all your great work!

Cheers,

protie

Here, Here.
I agree and cheers!

very well said protie - this site has done a lot for me too; without it i'd still be whipping myself with the 'poi'( they were closer to whips than poi ) i made before i discovered this site...
happy swinging,
Simos

Wow, many thanks for your story and kind words. I feel that the success of
the site lies with people like yourselves. The site would be nothing without
the great people that visit and interact with it. Thanks again

Malcolm

Yeah - I'll add a Hear Hear!

This site rocks. Anyone who comes to it with an open mind will leave a better twirler (and perhaps a better person)

Thanks Malcolm.

Josh

i'm glad i found this site while i am starting out in my twirling days, its helping me progress alot quicker that i normaly would,
thanks malcom, keep up the good work

Yes, definitely a great job done.

Not just this site, but the Poi are excellent too. I was very interested in Poi but if I hadn't come across this site chances are I wouldn't have started learning. My sister visited me recently and was also intrigued and is checking out this site and planning and getting her own Poi. We'll create a Poi Cirle of Fire Friends in Ireland yet!

Kat

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"London is a city coming down from its trip and there's going to be a lot of refugees"
- Danny,Withnail & I

Here here, Protie. A lot of what you said resonated for me--I've always been the behind-the-scenes guy myself, always preferring to be at the edge of the spotlight. That's how I got involved in making firedancing equipment in the first place--a way to be involved without being in the spotlight. But it was sort of a new year's resolution for me to learn how to actually *use* my equipment that got me started, and this site has been a great help for learning moves, and providing a community (though Austin has a good community too). I've discovered that twirling is great fun, and a completely different way for me to be in my body. Still haven't lit up--give me another week or two to practice.

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Adam Rice :: www.fire-gear.com

Me too! Malcolm rocks!
literally EVERY thing i've learned technically about poi has been from this site! i don't know anyone else in the area that does this stuff, so without the videos, lessons, advice, and help from others met on this site, i would be looking at my poi on the floor, wondering what others might do with them!
sorry for all the exclamation points. Malcolm deserves the poi-guy-of-the-millenium award.

That's amazing Adam; good luck with your first fire spin! Don't be stupid like me; the first time I went to fire the wicks had been soaked in white gas and I was wearing a polyester shirt. Terrible combination!

Thanks for sharing your story, Adam; I had seen your site before as well and was kind of wondering if you ever actually started spinning yourself.

-protie

Hear hear from the Sydney crew too.

Thanks to the home of poi's meet others section 5 of us got together in Newtown the other night to play with fire. Hopefully it will become a regular thing. Who knows where it will take us.

We're planning a really big burn soon...... on Shelley Beach at Manly, with even more Sydney people from the meet others section.

Maybe it'll turn into something like Brisbane's full moon fire fest's...

Oooooh! I hope so

Thanks Malcolm, we owe it all to you.

Finn

Here Here. I'll drink to that.
peace out people
garbo

[This message has been edited by garbo (edited 02 February 2001).]

Hooray for us all, each and every one!!!

it just keeps getting better! 8)

cheers malc,

(and while i'm writing, coz i don't very often, nice one everyone, you make 4 good reading!!)

inabit x

I'll add a here here to all thats been said, as well as a nod of agreement with all thats been said.(by the way is that right)

I'm gonna name my firstborn 'Malcolm' !
Even if she's a girl ...

A big thumbs up to one-and-all! Hurray for Malcom and his wonderful website! Big group hugs!!

Tim /|\

Yeah, thanks, Malcolm.

I'm from Halifax, NS, Canada, and there are very few people to learn from and with here.

This site is a wonderful thing. Cheers to all of you for being who and what you are.

Thanks again, Malcolm.
-Rick

Yes! Hooray for Malcolm! Hooray for us all! Hooray for fire!!! Fairie Firebell :-)

Never seen this before but you know what they are so right Malcolm, I've found friends and more on this site skills I never thought I'd ever have a few years ago and the insanity has set in enought to buy techs.
When I started spinning Manchester had a few spinners spread out far and wide now because of Hop Manchesters got a Spinning scene, its so great!

Thanks so much from me too.
Theres only so much random flailing a person can do and HoP has helped me so much to stop belting myself


Thanks again